Spiders Think Using Their Web, Suggests New Research

Many have an aversion to insects, in particular – to spiders. What can we say about when, when walking through the forest, you suddenly come across a web: for some time it stays on your clothes and body, creating unpleasant sensations.

But perhaps we need to reconsider our attitude towards these insects that weave their web. As it turned out, they are much more complicated and have a stronger connection with their web than we thought. What do spiders feel when we intentionally or accidentally destroy their weaves?

According to MNN.com, as a result of a recent study, scientists were able to find out that the web for spiders is much more than just an adaptation for hunting insects. They believe that the web helps these insects think.

You can make a comparison: just as a person uses various tools (computers, notes, organizing his space, etc.) to solve some problems, so a spider uses a web for his mental activity.

The spider web is a kind of “extension” of its brain. As was previously known, spiders use it as a sensory apparatus: when prey enters the web, the spider learns about it through a series of vibrations. Spiders

are also able to distinguish between different types of vibrations from those caused by the wind or animal, those that arise from debris, falls on the web.

In fact, when a spider sits in the center of its web, it does not just wait for prey. He takes turns pulling and loosening various threads. This can be compared to how a person covers one ear in order to better hear sounds coming from the opposite side.

Thus, the spider filters out the information that enters its brain. During the research, scientists cut off some sections of the web, and the spider reacted to it in a certain way, as if pieces of its “external memory” had been removed.

This shows that the thinking of these insects is really closely intertwined with the threads of their web. Scientists believe that some spiders have cognitive abilities comparable to those of birds and mammals: they can plan, anticipate the situation and learn.